A PHOTO HISTORY OF THE MUD BOWL 1934 to 1997 ~ MICHIGAN'S GREATEST FRATERNITY ATHLETIC RIVALRY
During the fall of 1934, Phi Delta Theta (PDT) active member E. Reed Low '37 challenged the "house across the street" (Sigma Alpha Epsilon -- SAE) to a friendly game of "touch" football on the morning of Homecoming in a little used valley in their side yard along South University. Low is considered the founder of the Mud Bowl.
The men of PDT and SAE fought a close match which SAE narrowly won 8 - 6. Given the intense rivalry between the two fraternities which were located only a couple hundred feet apart, it was decided that the Mud Bowl would be an annual event.
The Mud Bowl became a revered Homecoming tradition as PDT and SAE fiercely battled each year for nothing more than pride. In the early years, the game essentially was a rough intramural football match played on a field that was wetter and shorter than regulation.
As the annual contest matured, it was decided that the challenge and entertainment value of the game could be enhanced by tilling the ground and flooding the field. Eventually, the Ann Arbor Fire Department contributed to making the mayhem on the field even more muddy by pouring approximately 10,000 gallons of water into the valley shortly before the game.
By kickoff of games played in the 1970s through the 1990s, it was not uncommon for the mud to be more than one foot deep with water covering the west end of the "field."
The PDT-SAE rivalry series in the Mud Bowled ended in 1997 after the 64th game between the two fraternities was played. The records about these 64 games are a combination of fact and myth, but no one disputes that this was the greatest fraternity athletic rivalry in the State of Michigan if not the entire nation.
The Mud Bowl grew into such a spectacle that crowds numbering in the thousands showed up each year to witness the game. The game attracted coverage by Sports Illustrated, ESPN, ABC Sports as well as campus, Ann Arbor and Detroit media. The Mud Bowl became so popular that national brewing companies -- at first Stroh's, and then Miller -- sponsored the event.
Of course, some people have speculated that the presence of sororities playing football, or speedball in some years, during the half-time may have garnered most of the great public interest in the event. Nonetheless the athleticism and intensity of the PDT-SAE matchups proved to be very entertaining for the fans.
While the exact win-loss tally is subject to dispute, it is believed that PDT rightly boasts a few more victories in the series than SAE.
Given that SAE hand picked the referees for each Mud Bowl, a PDT victory typically required overcoming the opposing players plus the men in stripes. For this reason, PDT's hard fought "losses" remain as much a source of pride as its many victories.
If you have pictures or memories of the Mud Bowl to share with the Alumni Association's Heritage Project, please contact us at pdtumich@gmail.com.

Welcome to the web site of the Alumni Association of the Michigan Alpha Chapter of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

Phi Delta Theta's active chapter at the University of Michigan was formed in 1864. The Alumni Association was established in 1895. There are approximately 1,100 living alums and 2,141 men have initiated into the active chapter since its founding 152 years ago.

The Alumni Association provides alums with a way of keeping in contact with each other, maintaining the chapter house and supporting the active chapter of the fraternity.

The Alumni Association was incorporated with the State of Michigan and is run by a board of directors that currently has ten members. In addition, the Chapter Advisory Board provides oversight and guidance to the active chapter.

Outstanding Academic Accomplishments and Chapter Grew Stronger During their Tenure

[Published May 1, 2016] Congratulations to Michigan Alpha's graduating seniors on their outstanding academic accomplishments, and fulfillment of their pledge oath to "transmit the Fraternity to those who may follow after, not only, not less, but greater than it was transmitted to me.” Michigan Alpha today is as strong on campus as ever before.

These men have now joined the ranks of Michigan Alpha's more than 1,100 living alums. The Alumni Association wishes them all the best on their future endeavors, and looks forward to keeping in contact (mark your calendars for Homecoming on October 22).

MICHIGAN ALPHA NAMED FRATERNITY OF THE YEAR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN04.12.2016Michigan Alpha

On April 11, 2016, Phi Delta Theta at the University of Michigan was recognized at the Greek Life awards for their excellence in Greek Life and involvement in the University of Michigan community. Michigan Alpha won an award for Risk Management and was named the 2016 Fraternity of the Year. Pictured are current President Bernard Insalaco (right) and past President William Watkins accepting the awards.

Phi Delta Theta at University of Michigan has shown excellence in areas such as philanthropy, recruitment, risk management and Greek Life/campus involvement just to name a few. Michigan Alpha had the largest fraternity team at Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan this year and held a successful annual BoxCar Derby, raising funds and awareness for Ann Arbor Active Against ALS. In regards to recruitment, the chapter had its largest fall Phikeia class since re-founding in 2002 with 28 members and added 10 members in the winter semester. Phi Delta Theta was recognized for having outstanding Risk Management policies as well as strong involvement on campus.

This past year, Phi Delt has contributed to leadership roles in Wolverine Support Network, Dance Marathon, the largest student organization on campus, and a newly elected representative to Central Student Government. Finally, Michigan Alpha has excelled in the classroom, maintaining a chapter wide GPA that is higher than the all-male average at the University.

The brothers of Phi Delta Theta’s Michigan Alpha Chapter are extremely proud to accept these awards and hope to continue to pursue excellence in the coming years.

29 Pledges Boost Total Chapter Membership to Highest Level in 20 Years

[Posted October 29, 2015] Michigan Alpha recruited an outstanding 29 member pledge class which brings the total membership of the chapter up to approximately 100 men. This is the chapter's largest regular (not refounding) semester pledge class since the mid-1990s. The future is looking even stronger for PDT at U of M!

[Posted October 11, 2015] The 2015 Homecoming Open House at 1437 Washtenaw was a great success attended by more than 35 alums -- 1970s and 1980s eras were particularly well represented. This year's event at the chapter house was intended to be low-key compared to the 150th anniversary Homecoming last year. The Alumni Association is working with the active chapter to plan bigger Homecoming events in the future. Pictured right to left: Greg Karmazin '87, Sid Sheth '88, Jim Barger '86 and Rick Norden '87.

[Posted September 8, 2015] Fall Rush officially begins on September 16, and alums are encouraged to submit recommendations for legacy and non-legacy men potentially interested in PDT (https://www.facebook.com/PDTRush2015?fref=nf). Several legacies have joined the chapter in recent years. Michigan Alpha has a long history in a number of families, and the Alumni Association hopes that this rich heritage will be enjoyed by generations to come.

[Posted June 1, 2015] On behalf of the active chapter membership, I would like to thank our alums who have been generous in donating their money, time and moral support to Michigan Alpha. Your backing is critically important and tremendously appreciated.

I especially wish to thank the leaders of the Alumni Association/House Corporation and the Chapter Advisory Board for donating countless hours of your time to help the active chapter stay focused on the right direction while also keeping our historic chapter house in outstanding condition.

A special thank you to all of you donated and or attended our Boxcar event and Founder’s day celebration this spring.

A strong alumni relationship and support system is very beneficial to a chapter’s long-term success. Based on what I've seen in my time here at Michigan Alpha, I think our alums are best in the U of M Greek System. That being said, I believe that we need to continue to constantly work on enhancing our relations so that actives can have more opportunities to bond with alums and establish closer personal connections. I am pleased to say that the fraternity is continuing to grow and improve. Michigan Alpha is fulfilling its mission to be a leader in the U of M Greek System, and in doing so making a positive impact on the campus and the Ann Arbor community

Early this spring six other Greek houses caused hundreds-of-thousands of dollars to ski resorts in Northern Michigan that has brought the University of Michigan Greek Life into a bad light. We are proud that we canceled our Ski Trip in after this happened so we did not get dragged into the bad press. While Greek Life continues to pop into the national news Michigan Alpha has continued to be a responsible member of the Greek Community. Thank you for the support of the chapter as we continue to strive to be the pinnacle of our community at Michigan and Nationally.

As we continue to grow, my hope is that you will find our achievements worthy of your continued support and make you proud to say you are a Michigan Alpha alum.

The following outlines highlights of the 2014-2015 year, with much emphasis on this the Fall Semester.

Intramural Sports

After raising over $3,000 for Autism Awareness PDT was apart of this years Winterfest, a broomball tournament hosted by Alpha Sig where in the first round we lost in OT to DKE. It was a great event to be apart of and hope to continue our involvement in the event in years to come.

As for IMs PDT won volleyball, and Waterpolo. We were runner-ups in basketball finals and dodgeball. Rec Sports has decided not to get Stevenson’s Cup again this year but we believe that we would be in the running if they were to do so.

Grade Point Average

The Office of Greek Life and IFC has not yet released our average GPA from for the 2015 Winter Semester but I am confident that we will remain above the all campus male average and among the top within Greek Life.

Winter Rush

This winter we matched our Fall class with a pledge class of 16 excellent men. The active chapter is very happy with their progression as future members who will activate in September of 2015.

This is one of our largest Winter classes we have ever had and we are very pleased with this school years recruitment of 32 total men. The Phikeia are from eight different states including, Georgia, California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and of course, Michigan.

Total Membership and House Occupancy

Currently, our active membership is 90 with our 16 Phikeia. Our total of 106 members places Michigan Alpha above the U of M fraternity average of 82 members. It continues to not be our goal to be the largest fraternity on campus, as we believe that one of the hallmarks of Michigan Alpha’s historic success is the opportunity for men to participate in multiple activities and leadership positions.

We have grown in numbers a lot over the past years, but remain a close-knit brotherhood. Even with our recent growth we have maintained a size that allows us to know every member of the fraternity -- a feat not possible in some houses that strive just to be the biggest in numbers rather than best in quality.

In addition to keeping busy with activities in the chapter, Michigan Alpha members are involved in campus activities such as the Hockey Club, Dance Marathon, Managing the Michigan Football team, Club Sailing, ROTC, Investment Club, Economics Club, Ski Club, an Improv club and many other organizations. In the Fall we will have 27 actives living the chapter house and we continue to look to grow this number in the coming years. This is two more than last year and while our tailgate house is an important asset for us I believe that this number will continue to steadily rise in the coming years.

Social Events

Despite cancelling our Ski Trip we had a great semester socially. Next year we are excited to be tailgating with the lovely ladies from Zeta Tau Alpha. We are excited to see Coach Jim Harbaugh next season, and I kow there will be a new buzz around Michigan Football. Additionally we had a great St. Patrick’s Day event with the fraternity Delta Upsilon, and sororities Zeta Tau Alpha, and Pi Beta Phi.

We also had our Formal this year in Chicago, we Bused brother and their dates down The Congress Hotel where everyone stayed. Everyone was responsible for their own dinners and then we met at a boat on the river at 9pm that went down the river and on to Lake Michigan around Navy Pier. It was a great weekend, and we hope to continue improve upon this event and continue doing it in the future.

Philanthropy

Michigan Alpha’s commitment to philanthropy remains steadfast as we have continued to work with Ann Arbor Active Against ALS (A2A3) to awareness about, and funds for, combating Lou Gehrig's Disease. This Winter we had our 7th annual Boxcar Derby with A2A3 and it raised together we raised the most money the this event has ever raised, coming in around $15,000.

11 members completed the University’s Dance Marathon, which raises money for Mott’s Children Hospitals. The PDT team raised the most money out of any other fraternity and now many brothers have gotten more involved and have obtained leadership roles within the organization. It appears that MI Alpha will continue to lead the way in the Greek Community with Dance Marathon involvement.

Upcoming Events and Alums Always Welcome to Visit

During the Fall semester, with momentum from the 150th we will be planning a fun Homecoming event with the Alumni Board that we hope many alumni can attend.

As always, if you have suggestions or questions, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at wmswat@umich.edu. Proud to be a Phi!

[Posted May 2, 2015] The Alumni Association congratulates Michigan Alpha's 17 graduating seniors on a job well done. They have accomplished their pledge oath to "transmit the Fraternity to those who may follow after, not only not less, but greater than it was transmitted to me." We wish these young men all the best in their future endeavors, and look forward to seeing them return to the chapter house as alums.

[Posted December 15, 2014] On behalf of the active chapter membership, I would like to thank our alums who have been generous in donating their money, time and moral support to Michigan Alpha. Your backing is critically important and tremendously appreciated.

I especially wish to thank the leaders of the Alumni Association/House Corporation and the Chapter Advisory Board for donating countless hours of your time to help the active chapter stay focused on the right direction while also keeping our historic chapter house in outstanding condition.

A special thank you to all of you who attended the 150th anniversary dinner and 2014 Homecoming Open House. I know that many actives were inspired by your stories and your enthusiasm towards Michigan Alpha.

A strong alumni relationship and support system is very beneficial to a chapter’s long-term success. Based on what I've seen in my time here at Michigan Alpha, I think our alums are best in the U of M Greek System. That being said, I believe that we need to constantly work on enhancing our relations so that actives can have more opportunities to bond with alums and establish closer personal connections.

I am pleased to say that the fraternity is continuing to grow and improve. Michigan Alpha is fulfilling its mission to be a leader in the U of M Greek System, and in doing so making a positive impact on the campus and the Ann Arbor community.

As we continue to grow, my hope is that you will find our achievements worthy of your continued support and make you proud to say you are a Michigan Alpha alum.

The following outlines highlights 2014, with much emphasis on this the fall semester.

Intramural Sports

PDT had a great showing in this year’s Mud Bowl Tournament. Beating Chi Psi in the first round 35-16, then losing a hard fought battle to SAM 20-12. Our football team has made much progress, and our goal is to make it back to the mud in the coming years.

As for Intramurals in 2014, Phi Delta Theta won championships in volleyball, wallyball, inner tube water polo, dodge ball with Zeta, and soccer with AXO, in addition to many runner-ups, including a buzzer beater loss in 5 on 5 basketball.

U of M's Recreation Department did not officially award the Stevenson Cup, but we believe PDT finished in first place. In addition, Zach Sprintz '15 won the Fraternity League MVP which in recent years has been awarded to a member of the team who wins the Stevenson Cup.

Grade Point Average

During the 2014 Winter semester, the chapter maintained a GPA of 3.381, which placed us 5th in GPA overall among all 30 fraternities. We were above the all-fraternity campus average of 3.28 as well as the campus average of 3.31.

Fall Rush

We recruited an excellent pledge class of 16 men who exemplify all of the qualities that a Phi should. The active chapter is very happy with their progression as future members who will activate in January of 2015.

The Phikeia are from eight different states including, Georgia, Wisconsin, California, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and of course, Michigan.

We are very excited about the upcoming Winter Rush, and plan to have a bigger winter class than we have had in a long time.

Total Membership and House Occupancy

After the 2014 graduation, our active membership is 80 with our 18 Phikeia. Our total of 98 members places Michigan Alpha above the U of M fraternity average of 82 members. It has never been our goal to be the largest fraternity on campus as we believe that one of the hallmarks of Michigan Alpha’s historic success is the opportunity for men to participate in multiple activities and leadership positions.

We have grown in numbers a lot over the past years, but remain a close-knit brotherhood. Even with our recent growth we have maintained a size that allows us to know every member of the fraternity -- a feat not possible in some houses that strive just to be the biggest in numbers rather than best in quality.

In addition to keeping busy with activities in the chapter, Michigan Alpha members are involved in campus activities such as the Hockey Club, Dance Marathon, Rugby Club, Managing the Michigan Football team, Club Sailing, ROTC, Investment Club, Economics Club, Ski Club and many other organizations.

Social Events

During the football season we were pregame partners with the wonderful ladies from Pi Beta Phi. These tailgates were held at our seniors' house. We were able to have seven successful tailgates even though our football team was only able to have 3 successful home games. On November 20, we had our Date Party at a night club in Detroit it was a great venue which provided many great stories and much fun.

Overall, it has been a year of great fun all of the actives in Michigan Alpha, and we plan on the same going into the next calendar year.

Philanthropy

Michigan Alpha’s commitment to philanthropy remains steadfast as we have continued to work with Ann Arbor Active Against ALS (A2A3) to awareness about, and funds for, combating Lou Gehrig's Disease. This fall we participated in A2A3's Field Day, and last winter we joined with them to host our 6th annual Boxcar Derby which was a great success with a lot of participation from the rest of the Greek community.

For the 7th Annual Boxcar Derby which will be held on March 28, 2015, we are planning to expand the reach of this event and will keep the alumni updated on its progress as well as how they can participate or make donations to A2A3.

We also have 14 members involved in Dance Marathon, which raises money for Mott’s Children Hospitals. The PDT team has worked closely with a family who has a son with cerebral palsy which provides us with a solid understanding of how our fundraising is making a positive impact in the community. One of our members is ranked 11th out of 910 participants in fundraising for this very worthwhile cause.

Upcoming Events and Alums Always Welcome to Visit

During the Winter semester, the active brothers are planning to have a wide range of social, philanthropic and athletic events at which alumni participation or support is always welcome. We especially hope that alums will become more involved in the 7th Annual Boxcar Derby which is open to the entire community.

As always, if you have suggestions or questions, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at wmswat@umich.edu. Proud to be a Phi!